What Could Have Been
by Izout
Summary: Gordie and Teddy meet up for the first time in years. And through a talk, Gordie finds out something that changes his views on Teddy forever.


Disclaimer: Not mines, don't sue.

A/N: Decided to experiment with Gordie/Teddy Slash. While I've seen different slash pairings tried out, a part of me feels like folks are afraid to "step out of the norm" of Gordie/Chris slash, if you are going to write slash for Stand By Me and that's just limiting yourself. So here's a test run.

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Sixteen year old Gordie Lachance was sitting on a boulder in the middle of woods writing in his notebook. He had an idea to write a story that just wouldn't leave him alone; it was a Western about a lone traveler coming to a small town in the middle of nowhere to solve a century long mystery.

Sure Gordie could have written it at home, but he found the woods much more peaceful and relaxing to write it in the wide open wilderness. He was so engross in his writing, that he didn't notice that a figure was also in the woods going for a stroll. When the figure spotted Gordie, it observed him from behind a nearby tree. Then the figure walked around behind the trees until it was behind Gordie, and then it stepped into the open and approached him. Gordie was too immersed in his notebook to hear the footsteps and then, when it got closed enough, leaned over Gordie, wrapping its arms around his neck and putting its head on top of his.

"Hi, Gordie! Miss me?"

He jumped which clocked the figure in the jaw but didn't really hurt too bad.

"What the hell - Teddy?"

Yes, it was his old buddy Teddy Duchamp, who had surprised him.

Teddy laughed and ruffled Gordie's hair, which he didn't seem to like. "Aw, I'm sorry Gordo, I just missed you so much... I couldn't resist."

"Yeah, well, just because you 'missed me' don't mean you can scare me like that. Jesus, I thought I was gonna die, you wet end." Gordie told him as he went back to writing.

Something flickered across Teddy's eyes and he just simply sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sorry." Teddy apologized and from the tone of his voice, he actually sounded sincere. Teddy then squat down on the ground and sat down Indian style, in front of Gordie. "So Lachance, how you been?"

Gordie peek from his notebook and look at Teddy. "Fine." He answered slowly.

"Written any new stories lately?" Teddy asked, genuinely curious.

"A couple…" Gordie answered again, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Oooh, like what?" Teddy inquired. For a minute, Gordie just stared at Teddy. Even though he could see that Teddy was just trying to have a polite conversation with him, Gordie just didn't know how to talk to Teddy. Back in the day he, Teddy, Vern, and Chris used to be one big group of friends, but then over the years Teddy and Vern had slowly stop hanging out with Gordie and Chris until they were just another face in the crowd. Gordie had no idea why it happened, but it just did. Now, he has no idea how to response to Teddy anymore due to them just not being on the same wavelength anymore.

"Some science fiction stories, some mystery stories, you know." Gordie tried to answer as truthfully as he could.

"Sounds cool, think I can read them?" Gordie just shrugged and nodded. "So, how's your sex life?"

Gordie nearly ripped the page he was writing on in his notebook in half.

"What?"

"What I meant was… are you seeing anyone?" Teddy stated more clearly. And from the look in his eyes, Gordie could see Teddy wasn't trying to get a rise out of him, he was actually being curious.

"I've gone a few dates, haven't gone steady yet." Gordie notice something flicker across Teddy's eyes and it seem like he was actually relived, but why?

"With girls?"

"No shit?"

"Wow, I would have thought you and Chambers would have gone all the way by now. You know, I always use to suspect that there was something going between you two." Teddy let out his classic laugh, and Gordie just rolled his eyes and went back to writing.

"Teddy, if you came all the way out here just to accuse me of being a fag, let me just tell you - "

"I meant it." Teddy cut him off. Before Gordie could even ask what he meant, he continued. "What I said, I really did miss you."

Gordie was confused by this. Him? Why him? While he wouldn't say he and Teddy were the most distance members in the gang back then, he really couldn't recall a time where he and Teddy spent any real quality time together. Whenever they hung out, it was either as whole big group, or they had either Chris or Vern hanging out with them, so why specifically him?

"Really?"

"Ye-Yeah," Teddy explained, "I know me and Verno kinda stop hanging out with you and Chris over the years and I wanted to apologize for that. You know how you use to really like something and then suddenly you just lose interest in it? That's kinda what happen to us. We didn't mean for it to happen, it just sorta… did."

Gordie's jaw dropped. From the expression on Teddy's face, Gordie could actually see that he was actually being sincere about his words.

Teddy then smile at him. "So, didja miss me, Gordie?"

Gordie sighed heavily. "I guess I did. Everything is a lot more… quiet without you. Kind of a drag." He shrugged.

"It's nice to know you care at least a little, Lachance." Teddy said playfully. Then, he reached forward to brush a strand of Gordie's hair out of his eyes, and he flinched away. Gordie always did that whenever Teddy touched him. He become accustomed to it, and it was almost like a game at that point. See how much he could touch him before he moved away.

For a while, Teddy just stared at him, and it was making Gordie uncomfortable. It kinda look like Teddy was thinking over something, but wasn't sure if he should do it.

"Well it was nice talking to you again Teddy." Gordie said as he sat up from the boulder he was sitting on. "I'll see you around." Gordie turn to leave, but stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He saw that it was Teddy's.

"I've been watching you." Teddy said. Gordie just stared at him in confusion.

"Around town, I've been watching you." Teddy said again, taking a step forward. This creep out Gordie a little.

"I… why?"

"Because… you've gotten a little cuter in the last four years, and… I've just been wondering, about what could have been, you know."

"What could have been wha-?" Before Gordie could even finish his question, Teddy grabbed his face, stared at him for a few seconds, than pressed his lips onto his! Gordie just stood there in shock. He didn't close his eyes, he didn't kiss him back, he just stood there with his eyes bulge out. The kiss only lasted thirteen seconds before Teddy departed.

Gordie stood, bewildered. "Teddy, you… you…. I-I don't know what to say-"

"That's okay, you can think about it." He caressed Gordie's face. "I'll be in the neighborhood, just call for me." He gently took his hand off and continued on the path in the woods.

_Wow_, Gordie thought. _I definitely need time to think about this. _Gordie sat back down on the boulder, his story being the last thing on his mind at the moment.

**The End.**


End file.
